Like A Death Inside The Family
by clarawithfitzsimmonsin221b
Summary: He leaves a piece of himself behind to save her and knows he would do it again, no matter how much it hurts. She tries to make him feel better, but how do you comfort someone when no one ever showed you how?


It should have been a relatively easy field assignment. It was never supposed to go this far. So how did they end up here? Clint was loosing arrows as fast as was possible, taking down several attackers in one shot, but leaving dozens more still standing. He scavenged arrows from fallen fighters around him to keep his supply fresh. Natasha was one level below him and firing bullet after bullet faster than Clint was shooting arrows. She faced easily as many opponents as Clint, if not more. Her problem was that she couldn't reuse her ammo, meaning that she would run out eventually. After she emptied her last magazine she drew a dagger without hesitation and continued the fight. But there was only so much Natasha could do with a knife in a gun fight. This was a tough fight, even for Strike Team Delta.

"Hawkeye!" Nat's cry for help reached Clint both in his ear and over comms. One quick glance told him her entire predicament-and why she was calling out. There were an overwhelming number against her, more than even Natasha could handle. Clint glanced up and saw a rope hanging from the ceiling. A plan formed in his mind even as he fired more shots at his own assailants. He blasted the approaching group with a knock-out gas arrow. He grabbed the rope with his free hand, and then realized that he wouldn't be able to grab Nat with both hands full-and his back sling wasn't here. He didn't even hesitate-he dropped his bow knowing full well that he probably wouldn't come back for it and swung down. He wrapped an arm around Natasha and pulled them both to relative safety. They ran up to the roof and fled the mission site.

Clint was sitting on a couch in Stark Tower. The TV was on but the blank look on his face made it clear that he wasn't watching it. It had been just under a week since he and Natasha got back from their latest mission and Clint had spent most of his time listlessly laying around his apartment or the tower. It was starting to worry the rest of the tower occupants.

"What's wrong with Clint?" Pepper asked, casting a worried glance toward the living room. Jane was silent and both of them turned to look at Natasha who was eating a sandwich, looking unconcerned.

"What?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at them.

"Oh come on." Pepper rolled her eyes. "Don't act like you don't know what's up with him." A guilty look flashed across Natasha's face. She took another bite of sandwich and looked away.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." There was a catch in her voice at the end of her statement that gave her away. Jane turned sharply at the sound of it.

"Out with it." She demanded of Natasha, turning a glare worthy of an Asgardian warrior on the red headed assassin. Natasha sighed.

"It's...his bow."

"His bow?" Clearly, this was not what Pepper and Jane had expected.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Pepper, "I'm sure Tony can fix it." Natasha shook her head.

"He...lost it."

"That's ridiculous Natasha. Clint couldn't lose his bow any more than he could lose you." Jane looked at Natasha as if waiting for a real explanation. Pain flashed across Natasha's features once more.

"Alright then he...left it. He dropped his bow...to save me." She dropped her head down in her hands, "and now he's in pain and I can't do a thing about it because the one thing that he wants is sitting in some warehouse in Zimbabwe!" Pepper tried to place a consoling arm around Natasha but Natasha shrugged her off.

"I don't think that his bow is the only thing he wants," said Jane softly, "why don't you talk to him. You can probably help more than you know." Natasha gave her a look but didn't argue and went over to the couch.

"Hey." Clint looked up with glassy eyes.

"Oh. Hey Nat." She perched herself down on the couch next to him.

"How're you doing?" She cringed internally at the question-obviously he wasn't okay.

"I'm fine." He turned his head away from her, but not before she saw the flash of pain in his eyes.

"Hey." She set a hand lightly on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay." Another internal cringe-this is not going to help at all. Clint nodded, but his eyes said he didn't believe her.

"Do you want to-" Natasha stopped short when she realized that there was no way he wanted to go train without his favorite weapon. Clint gave her a questioning look.

"Nothing." She muttered, an embarrassed blush creeping up her neck. Clint nodded slowly and leaned back into the couch.

"I'm sorry Clint." It was all she could think to say. She took his hand loosely in hers, looking down and tracing a pattern with her thumb. Clint didn't answer, but sighed softly. He tightened his hand around Natasha's and easily pulled her slight frame up next to him. She instinctively curled up against him, the way she had on so many missions. He wrapped his arm around her and they sat that way in silence. Natasha wasn't looking at Clint, so she didn't see what Pepper and Jane saw-the glimmer of hope in Clint's eyes that had been missing.


End file.
